17 Things From 17 Years: Post 15

#15: Seasons come and go; the baby won't settle at 11 p.m. forever.

This one sounds so completely cliche, I hardly even know what to say about it. We hear the 'they'll be grown up before you know it' lines so often, it's hard to know if they are even helpful. As a young, sleep deprived mom, I mostly just wanted to smack the people who said those things anyway. Smack them and roll my eyes with a sarcastic, "Oh, I'll know it all right!"

Every stage of life has it's pros and it's cons, it's hard and easy things, it's times of fun and frustration. In the scheme of things, none of the stages last very long.

The days years of getting up multiple times a night will end (with my youngest, I was sure I would be the first mom still rocking my child to sleep at 16 but lo! I was wrong.) Those hectic Sunday mornings, getting everyone fed and clothed and combed with your own two hands? They end. So do the games of peek-a-boo and the cute things toddlers say. The chubby, baby feet disappear and the little heads no longer nestle up against your neck. One day there are no longer multiple heads of hair to be braided and no one needs help with their buttons. In fact, one day there might not be anyone in the house but you and your husband.

Before you go find the Kleenex or fling out your sarcastic remark, here's all I'm saying.

Realizing these things don't last forever doesn't mean you'll never feel exhausted or overwhelmed. It doesn't mean you won't long for a full night of sleep and a long, hot shower without anyone crying outside the bathroom door. It doesn't mean the first day of school won't be hard and the very thought of them all growing up won't dissolve you into tears. It just means that you'll live your life in the big picture.

It means you'll cry tears of exhaustion into your pillow at night but you'll search for the good moments like gold. You'll fall on your knees, begging God for wisdom and you'll jot down all the hilarious things that they say. You'll despair over them ever getting through the day without a squabble and you'll treasure the cuddles and I love yous. You'll worry that you've completely messed up and you'll delight in having them come to you with their struggle.

Realizing the baby won't settle at 11 p.m. forever just means I'll try to embrace it all; this stage, that stage and then the next one.

And, someday when I find myself with no one needing my help and the house all clean and quiet, hopefully I'll wipe my eyes and say, "Hey darling! How about ice cream at bed time without worrying some kid will see us? Shall we run off for the weekend and do something fun? It'll only take me two shakes to get ready!"